Jicky.

After admiring the Jicky myth from afar for some time, I recently made the plunge into buying some decants from a fellow basenoter, who was also kind enough to include a sample of Mouchoir de Monsieur free. My journey into lavender fragrances is a new one, with Eau Noire and Nicolai Pour Homme as my frames of reference, the Jicky family was nothing like what I expected.

Jicky Parfum: The smoothest opening of any fragrance ever. The top makes me think of that slighty vanillic oakiness in cognac and bourbon, slightly sweet, the lavender blossoms are damp with dew. A single accord, soft, and soothing. As it dries out it becomes more herbal/floral. Overall, a soft and dry fragrance. Very clean, even as the leather emerges. It manages to be full-bodied without relying on oriental bombast or an overload of amber – I assume a property of parfum concentration. I find it most appealing midday at work, sitting in a soft chair during a break, the fragrance is very soothing at that late stage in the drydown. It is pretty much the only thing I reach for these days, and it works any time of the day, even right before bed and it doesn’t become suffocating.

Jicky Parfum de Toilette: A little harsher in the opening, with a little more vanilla, and a stronger pungency which I assume must be based in the civet. It shifts the fragrance away from the parfum’s cleaner neutrality. It is sharper and brighter on the palate, and in a weird way strikes me as being a bit more artificial, more perfume-like. I find it to be distinctly feminine, with a sweetness that is a little cloying for me. It dries down duskier, more vanillic and animalic – a woman’s evening fragrance for gown and seduction. Just be cautious of that civet cat, it’s got fangs. I can see why Turin would promote this formulation, but I prefer the parfum on myself.

Mouchoir de Monsieur EdT: The first time I smelled this it seemed to me to clearly be a descendent of Jicky. It opens clealy saying “men’s cologne,” brasher still that Jicky PdT, no doubt from the higher alcohol content. Wood touched with a muted lavender. The lavender is more herbal, akin to Jicky Parfum, but it is a lesser element in this drier woodier composition.It is very proper next to the lush sensuality of Jicky PdT, and a little sharp/harsh and thin next to the perfect smoothness and greater depth of Jicky Parfum, which it is otherwise rather similar to.

I haven't tried Jicky Eau de Toilette. How does it compare to the above? Likewise, how does the other lavender/vanilla legend, Caron Pour un Homme, compare to these?

Re: Jicky.

When I sampled Jicky at the Guerlain counter in Selfridges, I actually physically stepped back in shock from the spray-card that the lady had just prepared for me to smell.

It was obscene!

... after which, you probably threw away the blotter. I think you should give Jicky a second chance. Next time, though, allow it a few minutes to dry, and sniff again. Keep the card, and see how it develops. ;-)

Re: Jicky.

I was introduced to Jicky two years ago and fell for it from the first try. I searched high and low and was lucky to find it in Pdt and perfume strengths. The bottles I hauled were a few years old and had natural civet in them. They were kept in very good conditions.

Recently, I bought from Gurlain in Paris a bottle of Jicky in Eau de Parfum strength (apparently they changed the volume description from Parfum de Toilette to EdP). It did not have natural civet because that's not allowed anymore. The very initial note was a stink and nothing like the initial whiff I get from my older PdT/Parfum bottles (no, my older Jicky did not deteriorate due to time, if that's what might come to your mind). What I'm trying to say is the synthetic civet is not nice at all and nothing like the original, now-not-allowed civet.

Unfortuantely, Jicky, in all its strengths, does not last well enough on the skin. It's a charming scent but with very poor tenacity and longvity.

Re: Jicky.

Originally Posted by Killer_Vavoom

I was introduced to Jicky two years ago and fell for it from the first try. I searched high and low and was lucky to find it in Pdt and perfume strengths. The bottles I hauled were a few years old and had natural civet in them. They were kept in very good conditions.

Recently, I bought from Gurlain in Paris a bottle of Jicky in Eau de Parfum strength (apparently they changed the volume description from Parfum de Toilette to EdP). It did not have natural civet because that's not allowed anymore. The very initial note was a stink and nothing like the initial whiff I get from my older PdT/Parfum bottles (no, my older Jicky did not deteriorate due to time, if that's what might come to your mind). What I'm trying to say is the synthetic civet is not nice at all and nothing like the original, now-not-allowed civet.

Unfortuantely, Jicky, in all its strengths, does not last well enough on the skin. It's a charming scent but with very poor tenacity and longvity.